What's Holding Us Back?

Have you ever watched the Stargate or Stargate: Atlantis TV shows? Have you ever read the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clarke? What about Red Planet and like movies?

I mentioned Arthur C. Clarke above. When he wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey, he predicted that it would be obsolete by the year 2001. It is now 2006 and his works are still Science-Fiction. They are not obsolete. Why not? What is holding us back from space travel and exploration?

There are common excuses of not having the technology or the money to travel and explore space, but are they that valid? I believe that if we really wanted to, we would be able to travel space. If we wanted to, we could transform Science-Fiction into Science-Reality.

Well, there are many technologies present today that are straight from sci fi especially in the medical fields and things in your home.
We take a lot for granted, technologies our parents and grandparents can not believe are actually common place.

Don't forget there is still a generation alive today that didn't have electricity in there homes when growing up, let alone telephones, dsl, running water, refridgeration etc etc etc.

I think the problem with sci fi and people is that it is taken it too literally and the timeframes they create tend to be un realistic and when reality crosses that timeline and that tech isn't available people tend to think we are being held back.

Sure we may be able of greater feats, but all in good time.

Your/Our lifetime is an insignificant moment in time - a mere blink really.

Be mindful of what we have accomplished in the last 50 - 100years. It is amazing.
Mobile phones = communicators?? Keep an eye on this tech in the next 5 years.

Also, we need to fix our own backyard before playing in others.

the very very very root of that question is MIND.......

MIND is holding us back...

if we can't find long-lasting fuel... that lays on mind.
if we can't find ways of keeping people happy and fed.... that lays on mind.
if we can't find the alloys to use... that lays on mind.

you keep going down the line... its all MIND.... they would love to tell you they are geniuses(sp?) haha but if they were they could find a way to do it.. (especially by now.. sheesh, if I had that much money and 'ability' I would have come up with something tangible by now... (not just huge nuclear drills to make bases in mountains and underground for OTHER companies/organisations) ... and minor accomplishments in immediate space....
So my answer would be MIND, not creative enough, not imaginative/resourceful enough, either that, or they are actually doing stuff we really really don't know about.

Originally posted by one_small_step
Also, we need to fix our own backyard before playing in others.

Head... nail... hit.

Theres no reason behind space odysseys when mankinds odyssey on earth is only beginning.

'Mind' is not as much of a hurdle as resources. PE, I don't understand what you mean by 'laying on the mind' but what you go on to say seems to suggest that selfishness is more of a problem than mind.

We have to focus technology on important problems. Like energy, pollution, war, transportation, economy, etc.

Space travel, while cool and interesting and freaking awesome, is not important at this moment. Like my parents always said "Do your chores, then you can go play."

[edit on 22-11-2006 by Shmigoli]

Originally posted by jad007
What is holding us back from space travel and exploration?

In my opinion I think the biggest reasons why space travel and exploration hasn't gotten as far is due to lack of public interest and lack of political will. Some people and politicians don't think it's worth the all the money and would rather invest in something that gives them a quicker return on there investment. Although I don't think some people realize how much of the tech developed for the space program comes back to the public.

EDIT to add:

Originally posted by one_small_step
Also, we need to fix our own backyard before playing in others.

I actually really dislike that line of thought. I think it's pretty much an impossible goal to solve all our problems here. It's not going to happen anytime soon. And who's to say that you can't improve everyones standard of living while venturing off into space? A lot of the tech developed for space comes back to the public and becomes used by everyone. Everything from improved water filtration to better home insulation. Not to mention numerous medical advances. If that's not improving the lives of people here on Earth, than I don't know what is...

[edit on 22-11-2006 by jra]

Space travel, while cool and interesting and freaking awesome, is not important. Like my parents always said "Do your chores, then you can go play."

Really? So going to the Moon was just all fun and games? :shk: Unfrickenbelievable. People forget so quickly that without the Space Program a lot of the Gadgets we take for granted today would at the very least be 10-15 years more primitive then they are today or they wouldn't exist in the Consumer market at all.

Space Travel is essential for our Species long term survival. Just the Spinoffs alone are worth it.

As for what's holding it back, well the comment I'm replying to for one. Apathy and Lack of understand of just how significant a Space Program is to a nation. If it wasn't significant to a nations economy/geopolitical status(through the Military might gained from the program), then China, India, Japan, Brazil, Isreal, and the EU wouldn't be putting any money into it whatsoever. Yet we see countries in the Pac Rim region are gearing up for their own Space Race. Hopefully this will spur the USA onto Mars(or better yet, onto an Asteroid, Asteroid mining and deflection science and technology needs to be focused on as that is where the big money is at to whomever figures out how to make money off of it) and in 10-15 years we could be seeing the start of a Space Race to Mars.

[edit on 22-11-2006 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by sardion2000

Space travel, while cool and interesting and freaking awesome, is not important. Like my parents always said "Do your chores, then you can go play."

Really? So going to the Moon was just all fun and games? :shk: Unfrickenbelievable.
[edit on 22-11-2006 by sardion2000]

Ok, you took my example to literally.

What I meant with "Do your chores, then you can go play." You can't go playing without taking care of all your chores, the house will get messy, your clothes will be dirty, the dishes will pile up etc. Making it take more effort to go out and play. Since you will get sick easier from a dirty house, your clothes will be dirty, and you are hungry because you have no clean dishes to eat off.

Get my drift?

Works the same way with Space travel. Space Travel takes up an enormous amount of resources and economy (costs a lot of money). If we don't improve on energy, pollution, transportation, economy, etc first we won't have the resources and economy to accomplish much space travel.


Going to the moon was a great feat, it wasn't "fun and games." We had the resources and economy to accomplish it several times. However why did we stop going to the moon? I believe it was taking up too much - yet again - resources and economy to keep going.

I am not trashing the Space program, It is great. Yes you are right a lot of technology has derived from it.
I'm referring to Space Odyssey 2001 type space travel.



[edit on 22-11-2006 by Shmigoli]

Works the same way with Space travel.

I still think the argument is over simplistic. I completely disagree.

Space Travel takes up an enormous amount of resources and economy (costs a lot of money).

The returns to the economy are greater than the costs in the long run. But politico's don't think in the Long Run, they think in the 4 year election cycle.

If we don't improve on energy, pollution, transportation, economy, etc first we won't have the resources and economy to accomplish much space travel.

Energy, oh you mean things like Solar Panels, that without the demand by the Space Sector wouldn't have improved at all after they were unceremoniously dumped by the Energy Industry when OPEC got scared and made their oil incredibly cheap in the 90s. Pollution? How about incredibly sensitive monitoring equipment? You know that Skylab hosted the first smoke detector right? How about Filtration technologies? What about Water recycling technologies? All of these would be much more primitive without the funding that NASA provided to 3rd parties.

A Moon base for instance would give us great insight on how to create a self-sufficient Arcology on another planetary body. Long term manned missions would do the same.

[edit on 22-11-2006 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by sardion2000

Works the same way with Space travel.

I still think the argument is over simplistic. I completely disagree.

Space Travel takes up an enormous amount of resources and economy (costs a lot of money).

The returns to the economy are greater than the costs in the long run. But politico's don't think in the Long Run, they think in the 4 year election cycle.

If we don't improve on energy, pollution, transportation, economy, etc first we won't have the resources and economy to accomplish much space travel.

Energy, oh you mean things like Solar Panels, that without the demand by the Space Sector wouldn't have improved at all after they were unceremoniously dumped by the Energy Industry when OPEC got scared and made their oil incredibly cheap in the 90s. Pollution? How about incredibly sensitive monitoring equipment? You know that Skylab hosted the first smoke detector right? How about Filtration technologies? What about Water recycling technologies? All of these would be much more primitive without the funding that NASA provided to 3rd parties.

A Moon base for instance would give us great insight on how to create a self-sufficient Arcology on another planetary body. Long term manned missions would do the same.

[edit on 22-11-2006 by sardion2000]

A moon base and long termed manned missions would be great and enhance technology greatly. I agree with you.

All the technologies that derive from space programs, I agree with that too.

However, I can't convince you of what I think about the obstacles in the way that is holding us back from space.

Whatever. I believe that the 4 year election cycle is what is primarily to blame for the lack of progress and sheer short-sightedness of the public for losing interest in most things having to do with Science and Technology, let alone Space Exploration. It's the general apathy that I blame as well. Over in China, the sheer enthusiasm over their successes in their space program is very reminiscent of what happened to the USA during the 60s. I just fear that our short sightedness will relegate western space exploration to second best during the next century.

Originally posted by jra

Originally posted by one_small_step
Also, we need to fix our own backyard before playing in others.

I actually really dislike that line of thought. I think it's pretty much an impossible goal to solve all our problems here. It's not going to happen anytime soon. And who's to say that you can't improve everyones standard of living while venturing off into space? A lot of the tech developed for space comes back to the public and becomes used by everyone. Everything from improved water filtration to better home insulation. Not to mention numerous medical advances. If that's not improving the lives of people here on Earth, than I don't know what is...

[edit on 22-11-2006 by jra]

Jra, that comment is not something I totally agree with that statement, however, given that the idea is aimed globally, I truly believe (present day) people would prefer to solve our immediate issues here on earth before seriously tackling those associated with space travel etc etc...

I'm all for space based tech, as I stated earlier, great tech has resulted from it and will continue to do so, just not at the pace most people would like.
Because of our finite time on this rock we want instant gratification we are the "NOW" generation.
Sorry folks, this isn't going to change in a hurry.

Also the "us and them" mentality Sardion displayed is a major factor too.
Space should be a human venture, no just US, China Europe, JAxa, Israel etc - but thats another thread entirely.

Unity is the only way forward.

So what? I'm being realistic. You cannot deny that.

I too would prefer a worldwide space organization, I just don't see it happening anytime soon.

Each country has it's own goals and motivations for going out into space and a lot of work is going to be duplicated unnecessarily.

I also think we should think twice about partnering up with China in future endeavors. I just don't trust one party states.

Originally posted by sardion2000
So what? I'm being realistic. You cannot deny that.

I most definitely agree.

The sooner funds, brains and ambition are unified - leaps and bounds.

The logic behind the standpoint that we need to explore space to focus mankind in order to create new technologies doesn't hold up. Truly, the greatest advancements for mankind have occured through war, not space exploration. But we aren't all going to advocate war in order to get hold of the technologies we can gain from it.

We know more about space than the bottom of the sea,
Travelling to the moon seems a waste of time to me.
We may get better stuff, which I'm sure would by great,
But the hungry and starving will only become irrate.

Thats a rubbish poem but thought I'd write what I had to say,
In a poetic format, it's more fun that way.

This is going to be a very unpopular opinion, but let the countries with those starving people HELP THEMSELVES! We have tried helping them through Loans and Handouts. Those types of things just seem to make the problem worse, not better. The best thing we can do is to remove Agricultural Subsidies and Debt Relief. We don't need to sacrifice Space Development for Egalitarian Development. That's a myth, plain and simple.

One thing I forgot to mention before is that when it comes to the US Federal Budget. NASA is something like 1% of that. Why take money from something so small and something that generates jobs and knowledge. There's still 99% of the rest of the US budget to get money from. If the US Govt can't find money from other areas to help clean up the Earth then you've got some real problems there.

Shave a little money off defense spending, you'd probably get more money.

Originally posted by byhiniur
The logic behind the standpoint that we need to explore space to focus mankind in order to create new technologies doesn't hold up. Truly, the greatest advancements for mankind have occured through war, not space exploration. But we aren't all going to advocate war in order to get hold of the technologies we can gain from it.

We know more about space than the bottom of the sea,
Travelling to the moon seems a waste of time to me.
We may get better stuff, which I'm sure would by great,
But the hungry and starving will only become irrate.

Thats a rubbish poem but thought I'd write what I had to say,
In a poetic format, it's more fun that way.

We could replace all energy generated by nuclear, coal, oil with solar cells covering 2% of the Moon put together by autonomous robots from the material of lunar soil. 2% would support a 50% increase in energy use.